Backers of Amtrak and passenger rail service in Illinois are worried the state's serious financial problems will lead to service reductions. So today, members of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association held a news conference in Springfield to warn of possible cuts.
Joining them was State Representative Don Moffitt from Gilson, who's district includes the Amtrak line through Princeton, Kewanee, Galesburg, Macomb, and Quincy.
He also says Amtrak currently serves a lot of college students - in western Illinois and across the state.
Moffitt says if passenger rail service in Illinois is ever going to be self-supporting, it must be on-time and provide options.
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Moffitt's goal is to protect the Amtrak service now available in Illinois, with its state funding, and also to expand the options in the future, including a Quad Cities to Chicago route.